Small Pension

I suppose the question here is do you have a money problem or do you have a husband problem? If your husband also has little to spare after the bills are paid you have a money problem. if he has plenty left to spend on his own treats then you have a husband problem.
If it is a money problem you need to ask about any benefits, pension credit etc. that you might be entitled to as a couple, or you need to rethink your lifestyle. E.g. if you are homeowners, could you release some capital, if you are renting could you move to somewhere cheaper. If you have any wealthy children could they help out - that sort of thing.
If it is a husband problem, I am assuming that you have already spoken to him about this and he is refusing to share. In that case you can take up some of the suggestions above, like not buying any food etc. Or, if your husband carries cash, you could take some of it when he is in the shower or something and when he wonders where it has gone you say "I needed it to buy X" and stand firm. Or if you are afraid of him and are a good liar, you could say you don't know where it went. This would not be stealing, you are married and this is as much your money as his.
Best of luck

nina get a pension forecast/ statement either by phone or online then at least you will know!

Oh my goodness, at 63 I have no pension/income at all, we live on H's private and old age pension plus the money he gets for seasonal p/t gardening . However, I hold the purse strings and H is happy to leave me too it. Your H seems a bit mean.
I don't think I will be entitled to a pension of any kind as although I worked for several years after the children it was only ever part time and I didn't earn enough to pay tax or NI.

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Anya

Anyway, you will only want soup after you've had your tooth out!

If you were bringing up a family from 1974? onwards you should have had a stamp paid for the years you were in receipt of Family Allowance.
I am not sure of the rules if you were working and paying a married woman' stamp (that was a big con trick - my SIL worked all her life, never paid the full stamp - consequently no pension in her own right.).

Agree that your husband doesn't deserve feeding. Let him starve and just feed yourself.

I brought up a family too! But my State Pension is more than that. Did you perhaps pay a reduced stamp?

No problem seasidelady just pay your dental bill and don't bother with buying any food at all this week. That should concentrate your minds!
All your income should be paid into the one account and the bills should all come out of it as well as pocket money for each of you. I do not understand how you have lasted out for 45 years with that kind of mind set.
You clearly need some marriage counselling!

The new pension only applies to people who reach retirement age from April of this year onwards, Granarchist. seasidelady has been eligible for over ten years, so it won't apply to her.

will the new £150 pension for all apply to you? You really should check again with the DWP - do you get winter heating £100? - do you have family who could help or encourage yr husband to stump up. This sounds awful.

seasidelady, on the face of it your husband is being unfair. It seems obvious that you'll have nothing left for yourself if you are buying all the food and petrol out of your small pension. How much does he have left after paying the bills he is responsible for? If it's more than you have at your disposal, you need to speak to him about sharing some of it, or if that is difficult, enlist someone to speak to him on your behalf.

good grief , that doesn't sound fair , Does you Husband pay rent rates electric etc ?

I think you need a conversation with your husband as to why you are buying all the food/petrol and why he thinks he can keep his pension when you are sharing yours.
Have you checked whether you can claim any benefits? Someone will be along who knows more about your benefit rights..

You could just bring home enough food for yourself.

Does your DH pay all the other bills eg gas, electricity, rates, water etc?
Can you suggest combining your pensions, working out the bills then each taking out some 'pocket money'?

Many of us were persuaded not to pay the full stamp and paid a married woman's stamp, being told that we would get a 'full pension' on our husband's contributions.

Luckily, when I went back to work when the DC were at school and I paid a full stamp for the rest of my working life, although I still don't get a full pension.